


Hello World

by Darling_Dixon08



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-11 23:00:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19935928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darling_Dixon08/pseuds/Darling_Dixon08
Summary: Daryl is stuck babysitting two kids they stumbled across on the road.





	Hello World

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE listen to the song 'Hello World' by Lady Antebellum BEFORE reading this. It inspired this whole story! Also, there may be some trigger warnings for some of you for suicide towards the end. Proceed with caution.

Daryl's P.O.V.

The street is littered with cars. Some off the road trying to get around others and the rest in a line. The other side of the freeway is less crowded. Only two cars trying to get into the city. Idiots. They couldn't even do that without crashing into each other. I search through some of the cars that are bumpered together. Nothing but packed clothes and picked through medicine. I move whatever cars still run to try and make room for the RV. Hours pass before I decide to turn back around and gather up. Rick should be back by now with Sophia and we shouldn't stay here another night in case another heard rolls through.

I pass the crashed vehicles on the the other side of the road without a second thought. If these people were stupid enough to go back into the city then they are too stupid to have anything of any value to us in their cars. I'm a few feet away but my head tells me not to be ignorant, it won't take more then 1 minute to clear it.

I turn back around and head over to the white truck. The front end smashed into the side of the van. I clear the bed first, nothing but gardening tools. The front of the truck has nothing as well, and I move to the van. It's rusted red from years of use and I'm surprised it even made it as long as it did being on this road. I walk over to the side and the window is covered with a lot of dirt and some blood. When I move closer for a better view I can see movement inside. I pull my bow out and stay standing with it pointed. If a walker is inside, it's probably stuck in there and I might as well leave it. I lower the bow and start to walk away. As I do though, I look back and my eye catches something in the window. It's a little girl, her hand pressed against the dirt, rubbing it. I tilt my head, confused, stepping closer again to make sure my eyes aren't fooling me. My foot steps are slow and I can't figure out what it is about this dead girl that's drawing me closer to her. Maybe it's the thought of Sofia being out there, maybe I can't bare the idea of leaving her unrested. I take another few steps closer and am now next to the window. I put my hand to the window, my eyes following as I try to look inside. I'm shocked to see that little girl waving at me with a small smile and dirt covering her hands and face. I move to the handle quickly but it's locked. I continue to try to open it in a panic before moving to the driver door. It's also locked. "Close your eyes!" I shout into the car from the outside. I grab my bow and smash the window open and unlock it. I drop it to the ground with a thump and go back to the back door to get the girl out. I bend down into the car and unbuckle her from her car seat. Her eyes are piercing me with wonder but she doesn't cry. "Come on little one. You're okay" I tell her once the buckle comes undone. I lift her easily into my arms and go to quickly head back to the RV. She must be dehydrated and exhausted.

"Glenn! Dale!" I call out loudly for someone, wanting them to take care of this for me.

I see Glenn peak out from a car and his body language changes when he sees me. I get closer "found this girl locked in a car.." I tell him as I approach.

"Just found her?" He asks me.

"Ya, no driver, douche heads just left her" I shake my head.

The little girl moves in my arms a little, her eyes finding mine "brother" she says to me.

"What?" Glenn and I say in unison.

She points back to the van "brother"

I thrust her into Glenn's arms and turn back around, sprinting to the van. I get to the open door and peak inside. And sure enough, in the back row of the van is another car seat, facing away from the front. I climb inside and a little boy, around the same age as his sister, lays as to what I hope is just him asleep.

I move to unbuckle him "come on little dude" I say lifting him up and trying to wake him. He doesn't wake up and I can hear his breathing and how shallow it is. I run again towards the RV, more people from the group have surrounded where I was with Glenn and they stare in our direction. "He's barely alive!" I call out to them as I run.

"Bring him inside!" Lori calls to me from the door of the RV. I do as she says and bring the boy inside, placing him on the bed in the back. "He needs water." She says as she rubs dirt off his face.

I lean down and pass her my canteen filled. She pours some down his face and the cold water wakes him. He starts to whine as he tries to open his eyes "it's okay little dude, you're okay" I say to him.

"Sissy?" He questions as Lori tries to give him some water.

"She's here too, you're okay." Lori tells him and his chest lowers with a relieved sigh, even though his breathes are still shallow.

\---------------------------------

Chloe walks past the familiar church for yet another day. She's been searching for her children ever since she left on a run with another camper. Her camp must've gotten overrun or something and they left in a hurry, most supplies still lingering around. The truck, van, and cars are all gone. She tries to find solace in the fact that they are gone and safe with the people she trusts. It's been 2 months since she's seen her twins and her heart breaks more every day. She separated from her new group, as they were getting ready to move away from that area. She couldn't bare to leave it though, positive she'll see their little faces again. The plan was to always meet at the church if they got separated, and she was going to go everyday. It's getting harder and harder to stay in the woods here. It's getting busier with the dead and she is running low on supplies. She's picked through cars and homes near by but she knows if she wants to keep living she needs to move forward. She decides to stay one more night before going to the church to say her goodbyes.

\--------------------------------- 

Daryl's P.O.V -

It's been 2 days since Sophia went missing, and 2 days since the twins were found. The little boy and girl follow me everywhere and it bothers the hell out of me. How the hell am I suppose to search and find Sophia when these toddlers are with me 24/7? I try to pawn them off on Lori, but she thinks it'd be good for me to hang around little kids, more like little brats. I manage to convince Carol to watch them as the rest of us go out to look for Sophia. We come across an old church, the ringing of its bells grabbing our attention. We all hoped she was the one ringing them, a signal for us, but it was on a timer, and we were no closer to finding her. Rick and Shane decide to continue their search, taking Carl with them and I lead the rest of the group back to the road. Sure enough, as we make our way back, some women on a horse comes up and tells us that Carl was injured and Lori had to go with them. I tried to convince her not to go, that this bitch could be anybody, but Lori insisted. They told us about the farm they lived at, and where we can go to find it. I snarl at everyone after they ride away, knowing we shouldn't leave the road in case Sophia makes her way back there. When we get back to the R.V. I go inside and give Carol an update "we heard some church bells, but it wasn't her. I'm sorry."

She drops her head, starting to sob "thank you" she manages to choke out "can you take the twins, please?" She asks between a sob.

"Sure." I mutter, picking up the boy and taking the hand of the little girl. As we start to walk out Brooke mutters "church! church!"

"Yup, a church, ain't nothin' there." I mumble back, not caring to talk to a 3 or 4 year old about our failed efforts to find Sophia.

"Church!" She exclaims again with a smile on her face.

I just roll my eyes and look down at her brother whose in my arms "she a weird one, ain't she?" I comment as a joke.

He smiles and says back to me "church" and points to the woods.

I roll my eyes at him and make my way to the group. We decide to head to the farm in the morning, using the night to set up a spot for Sophia to stay in if she makes it back here and we aren't here.

I'm already annoyed that I have to stay in the R.V with the twins, me being the only ones they will sleep around, but it almost drives me to the edge when the whole night the two of them are simply saying the word "church" over and over again to me and pointing to the woods. Before I could freak out, Carol chimes in from the back of the R.V "why don't you just take them to that church in the morning then meet us at the farm?"

"Why would I do that?" I snarl back.

She sighs "they're young but they clearly know what church is, maybe they want to go, maybe it'll make them feel better?" She offers.

"Fine." I reluctantly agree, sitting up off the floor to look at the boy and girl who are laying on the bed "we'll go to church in morning, alright?" I ask them, hoping they understand.

The girl smiles and says "church" before closing her eyes. Braden smiles as well, and I watch as their breaths deepen and they fall asleep quickly.

\--------------------------------- 

Chloe takes her time walking to the church that morning. She came here everyday for months, praying to see their faces again. Every day she see's them, but they're an illusion, caused from her grief. She walks past the graves marked by little white crosses and into the wooden building. The doors are large, pretty much protecting the inside from any dead. There's been times she's had to take out a few of the dead around the property, but it's a pretty secluded church, the reason it was always going to be their meet up spot. She knows to leave before the steeple rings, grabbing the attention of any near by roamers. That gives her a few hours to herself to mourn.

\--------------------------------- 

Daryl's P.O.V

Although Andrea wanted to come with us, saying I needed the help in case any walkers came by, I convinced her otherwise. If I have to go to church with these little brats, then I'm gonna go with them alone. If they are church going kids, then who knows what they'll ask me to do. If they ask me to pray, I can't say no, and I'll be damned if I have anyone else around to hear me do that.

I walk through the woods with Brooke on my right and Braden on my left. It's a slow walk, taking a lot of time, but it's quiet. They both walk with smiles on their faces. We stop a few times, giving them breaks so I don't have to carry them all the way back later. We finally get to the church and they're faces are brighter then I've seen them before "church!" The little girl squeals when she see's it.

"Yup, there it is." I squat down to their level "So, there's the church. Ready to go?" I ask with a fake smile.

"Inside." Braden protests to me, pointing at the door.

I roll my eyes "come on, we don't need to go inside."

"Inside" He says again, sort of pushing his foot into the ground, showing me he's angry.

I chuckle at his ways and shake my head "yea, like that'll work." I mutter. Brooke starts to cry, her cries getting louder as I stand there staring at her in shock. I try to shh her but she keeps going. I look to her brother who just looks at me with a straight face. "Fine, fine, fine. We'll go inside, Jesus." I roll my eyes and quickly scoop her into my arms to hush her cries and begin walking towards the old church.

\--------------------------------- 

Chloe sits in the first pew, looking up at the statue of Jesus. She's looked and prayed to him so many times before since she lost her babies and she knows now that it's going to be the last time. Her pain is too much and she can't go through this life without them. "God, please, forgive me for my sins and what I am about to do."

She takes the gun from her waistband but before she could do anything with it, there's a sound from the back of the church. She assumes it's a walker and decides to ignore it. Her eyes fill with tears as she knows what is going to happen next "I love you Braden, I love you Brooke." She whispers into the dead air.

"Mommy?" She hears a faint sound from behind her and she turns her head. In the back of the room she see's her little babies, standing there with a man she can't place. The tears fall harder now, the last illusion of her babies before she takes her own life. It's a sign from God that they are with him and she needs to be too. She stares at them as she brings the gun up towards her temple.

\--------------------------------- 

Daryl's P.O.V.

I stand there in shock as I see this women turn around and stare at us. Did these kids just say mommy? My head races, figuring it can't be. The tears stream down her face as she tries to control her sobs. My brain is frozen for the most part, that is until I see the gun in her hand. As she starts to lift it into the air I move fast, dropping the hands of the kids and darting towards her "stop!" I yell, getting to her just as the end of the gun touches her temple.

I quickly swat at her hand, the gun going flying across the room "please" she pleads with me "I can't take it anymore. Please, I want to be with my babies." She begs, looking at me with the saddest of eyes I've ever seen.

"What.. what are their names?" I ask her, holding her by her arms to keep her from pushing away from me to grab at the gun again. I can't let her do this, not with the kid's in the room.

"B--Brooke and Braden" She musters out, dropping her head "I miss them so much."

"Holy Shit." I mutter out, dropping her arms and standing up straight.

She continues to cry, her hands now cradling her face.

"Mommy." Brooke says from the back of the church again. I turn to see her little smiling face, holding the hand of her brother.

The women shakes her head "I can't do it anymore, I can't see them anymore. Please, kill me." She begs again, not looking up to see her kids standing just feet away.

"No, no!" I spit out, pulling at her to stand up "look, it's them. Look!" I urge her as she barely stands up right.

"What?" She looks at me, moving her hands. Her eyes then go to the other side of the church where she see's the two children standing there "Brooke! Braden!" She calls to them in a loud screech.

"Mommy!" The two kids attempt to run to her and she does the same, pushing past me.

I watch from the front of the church as mother and children are reunited. A virtually impossible thing, unfolding in front of my eyes. I look over and up at the statue of Jesus "not the miracle I asked for but.." I mutter, remembering just yesterday my sarcastic comment about him taking requests.

I continue to watch the family reunion for what feels like hours. Eventually, Braden looks past his mother and to me, he points and says "daddy."

I chuckle awkwardly as his mother turns to face me, not letting go of her kids "it's Daryl." I correct him.

"Daryl." She hums out my name, standing up. Before I could say anything else she is hugging me, squeezing me with as much force as she has "thank you, thank you so much!"

"there's uhh, there's no need to thank me." I tell her, keeping my arms to my side.

"Daddy" Brooke says this time, standing next to me and pulling at my pant leg.

"Daryl" I correct her, not enjoying being called Daddy one little bit. "Are you with a group?" I ask her.

She shakes her head, bending back down to hug and kiss her kids some more "I left them a few weeks ago. I uhh- I came here to.." she trails off.

I know what she was going to say, and I turn to eye the gun still on the floor. I go over to where it lies and pick it up, putting it in my waistband "well, I'm with a group. Why don't you come with me and we can figure out where to go from here." I say to her.

She looks at me, her big brown eyes searching mine "you'll just let me come back with you? Just like that?" She asks.

I shrug "Braden and Brooke are one of us now, so, so are you." I tell her. Sure it's only been two days, but now that the idea of the kids leaving is floating around, I don't like it, and I want to make sure they are going to be okay with her. "What do you say kids, wanna head back to the road?"

Braden says "Daryl" and Brooke says "Daddy" as they both point to me.

I laugh and say "well, at least one of em's got it right."

"Thank you." She says again. Brooke saunters over to where I am standing and lifts her arms up for me to pick her up. I eye her mother, who stays close but doesn't argue the idea and gives me a little head nod of approval. I bend down to pick her up and she picks up her son at the same time. She thrusts her hand out to finally introduce herself "Chloe."

"It's nice to meet ya." I say to her, standing directly next to her as we leave the church, knowing she will not want to let either of her babies out of her sight again.


End file.
